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Left 4 Dead Witch Hands/Fingers

Introduction: Left 4 Dead Witch Hands/Fingers

Hello, and welcome to my first tutorial! I decided to be a bride witch from L4D this year for Halloween, and after seeing a few tutorials on how to accomplish a witch-hand look, I decided that I'd rather try my hand at making my own from cheap things I found lying around the house. Honestly, I didn't leave my house in search of fake nails nor party blowers ;)

I hope you can make use of my tutorial, and feel free to experiment with using different textures, adding some ModgePodge, and such. I'm sure your fingers will turn out gruesomely fantastic!

Step 1: Making the Finger

Here, you shall need the Napkin (One), the Wire (However long you want, but the witch has long finger-claws), and the Masking Tape.

For napkins, you can use any type, really. I used the kind that they have at cheap restaurants: the rectangular kind with the fold down the center of its length. I taped the wire that I had already cut to my desired length down the middle, length-wise. Leave a little bit hanging out of the bottom, this little 'tail' of wire will come in handy later. Also, leave a longer 'tail' coming out from the top. This will serve as an ending point that isn't as wide as the finger part, because it'll be the sharp claw.

Once you have finished taping the wire to the napkin, roll the napkin starting from one side of the width, going all the way to the other side. It'll only take a few turns, but you can make the fingers any width you want to fit your own fingers well.

Tape the rolled napkin closed so that you can continue. Now, using short strips of the masking tape (short strips are easier to work with), tape the entire finger [Image 2]. Bend the wire as you tape it all, bending at the joints where they would normally be, as if these were real fingers (She was human once, after all). Lave the bottom tail of wire sticking out, still. Make the top pointy by gradually making the finger thinner as you near the top.

Cut two smallish slits into the sides at the bottom, going from the bottom to top, not side-to-side. By doing this, it will ensure snugness when the claws are on. Try it on, and adjust to your comfort as needed. [Image 3]

Step 2: Painting

Once you are done making the claws, which I suggest you do all at once, arrange them in a way in which you can paint them and let them dry.

Start by painting the entire length of the finger with your skin-tone paint. Before it dries, layer the other colored paints on top. Use black heavily on the tip and fade it out as you move down. Mix in some burgundy, and little bits of the red. While it is still wet, you can add some of the fake blood. It will dry. This is okay. It will add a sort of dried blood effect, and you can always reapply blood when you want them to be gory.

As for paintbrushes: I literally using paper napkins. I just kind of crimped them in my hand and applied the paint with that. Once the paper started getting soggy, it starting to add a GREAT and gross texture to the claws. Kind of like little clumps of warts.

After you have finished painting them, let them dry completely. If using acrylic paints, it won't take long.

Step 3: Finish Up! :D

Once you are completely ready to sport your deadly claws, you will need some help from someone. You can assure them that it won't be back breaking labor. ;)

Fit your fingers into the claws, but if the hardened paint is making it too difficult, feel free to cut the slits from before a bit more. Fit them over your fingers with the bottom tail of wire on the top of your finger. tape the claw closed unto your finger as far as you want (you want these to be comfortable, after all!). Do not tape so harshly that your fingers are dying from lack of blood flow, though. I don't want you guys to lose your fingers, and I don't think you would want that either.

On mine, the thumb is bent a bit too much near the base, but I can fix that up in a jiffy once I put them on for good with my witch costume.

After taping the claws onto your fingers, using the skin toned paint, paint from the base of the claw onto your finger and hand until it fades out into your actual skin color. Next do the same with the black and burgundy. And blood! You can add some more blood to the claws once you are completely finished so that you can boast about your most recent survivor kill.

I truly hope you enjoyed my tutorial on L4D's Witch hands/claws! :D

Step 4: The End Result With Costume

Here, you can see the costume that I made, and with both of my hands sporting the claws. I didn't get to put blood on them because I was running late :(

Oh well! I scared a ton of people, and some folks actually asked to take photos with me! :D